Bangkok
- Environment News
Poll shows most Bangkok residents dissatisfied with public bus service
A recent survey by Bangkok Poll showed most of the city’s residents aren’t satisfied with the capital’s bus services, citing long waiting times, shabby conditions and thick black exhaust. The poll, conducted June 25-29 by the Bangkok University Research Centre, surveyed 1,299 people aged over 18 to gauge public satisfaction with city buses. The largest group, 46.7%, said they were…
- Thailand News
Thailand growing more expensive for expats
According to Employment Conditions Abroad, Bangkok and Chiang Mai are among the 30 most expensive cities for expats in Asia. The capital of Turkmenistan might not spring to mind when with considering the priciest cities, but according to ECA International it ranks first on both the global and Asian tables, a 5 point rise up the rankings due to an…
- Covid-19 News
Hospital director proposes importing overseas Covid-19 patients for treatment
With the Covid-19 situation in Thailand apparently well in hand (there have been no locally transmitted cases for well over a month), a hospital director in Bangkok is proposing flying in patients from abroad for treatment at his hospital. The director of Mongkutwattana Hospital is considering medical flights to bring international Covid-19 cases to the hospital for treatment, in an…
- Covid-19 News
Bangkok’s shopping malls struggle under tourist ban, fierce competition
Suvarnabhumi, the name of Bangkok’s second international airport, means “realm of gold,” and was given by His Majesty the late King Rama IX to Bangkok’s eastern outskirts (technically in Samut Prakhan province), once a marshland called Nong Nguhao (Cobra Swamp). With its overtones of wealth, the name represents the hopes of developers, who are turning the area into a retail…
- Economy News
Thai nightlife grapples with “new normal”
Thailand’s nightlife scene is grappling with a ‘new normal’ as changes upon its recent reopening see facemasks joining the normal bikini wear in red-light districts across the Kingdom. After being forced to close for more than 3 months in order to stop the spread of Covid-19, bars, karaoke venues and massage parlours are in the latest category of businesses allowed to…
- Bangkok News
Old Bangkok market damaged by large fire
An old Bangkok market was reportedly damaged by a large fire early this morning, taking over 20 fire trucks and at least two hours to put out the blaze. Ying Charoen Market, in Bangkok’s northern Bang Khen district, saw vendors fleeing the flames and taking their merchandise with them after firefighters were called to the scene at 3 am. The…
- Covid-19 News
Nightlife operators warned: follow the rules or face closure
Bangkok police have issued a stern warning to nightlife venue operators… follow the rules or be closed again. National police chief Chaktip Chaijinda has instructed officers to make sure entertainment venue operators comply with disease control regulations and that both service providers and customers understand the “new normal.” The warning comes after a meeting of senior city police, the Health…
- Covid-19 News
Thai government extends contact-tracing app to Bangkok metro, Skytrain services
Thai Chana is coming to an MRT station near you… As social distancing requirements are eased on public transport, the Thai government says that from today, passengers must check in and out of the capital’s metro and Skytrain services through the Thai Chana platform. Officials from both the MRT and BTS services say passengers are also asked to refrain from…
- Covid-19 News
Bangkok buses to ease social distancing requirements in Phase 5 as schools reopen
In the fifth stage of Thailand’s easing of Emergency Decree lockdown measures, the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority plans to ease social distancing measures public buses to accommodate the increase in commuters after schools reopen on July 1. “In the fifth phase of the easing of Covid-19 lockdown, which will start on July 1, the government will allow schools and many…
- Covid-19 News
Q&A with David Barrett on travel, tourism and MICE
Industry expert and respected marketeer David Barrett chatted with travel writer and media consultant Andrew J Wood on the recovery from the impact of Covid-19 on Thailand’s formidable travel and tourism industry. AW. As Thailand starts to emerge from lockdown what do you believe are the most important points to consider to ensure success? DB: As we begin to recover,…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok school accused of cafeteria corruption by watchdog group
One Bangkok school is under fire after it was revealed that ‘free’ milk is being sold for 5 baht a cup and the provided breakfast is just cheap instant noodles. The Thai Anti-Corruption Club Facebook page has been posting photos of the cheap breakfast and has sparked discussion about where the money allocated for student food is going. Napat Food…
- Crime News
UPDATE: Pregnant woman killed in hit-and-run, driver surrenders
UPDATE: Today, the car mechanic who ran over and killed a pregnant woman on Sunday handed himself over to the police. Police in Bangkok’s Min Buri district had previously issued an arrest warrant for 48 year old Kawin Sathorn, for running over a woman who was 5 months pregnant. The 21 year old victim, Nadiyah, was on a motorbike with her…
- Bangkok News
“The End” for one of Thailand’s last independent cinemas
The Scala cinema in Bangkok’s Siam Square, is set to close its doors for good at the start of next month. Management from the cinema’s parent company, Apex Scala, have announced the theatre’s demise on social media, saying a series of farewell events will be held between July 3 and 5. Khaosod English reports that the cinema has faced threats…
- Crime News
Pregnant woman dies in hit-and-run, police search for driver
A pregnant woman was killed in a hit-and-run road accident over the weekend. Bangkok police are looking for the driver of a black Volvo that sped off after hitting a motorcycle from behind. The woman was 5 months pregnant. She was riding on a motorcycle with her boyfriend when the car hit them from behind. Thai media says the woman…
- Bangkok News
Grab teams up with farmers for fresh fruit delivery service
Local produce farmers and merchants are getting some help distributing fresh fruits from Grab Thailand. The company already has a smart phone application for ride-sharing and food delivery. Now fresh produce will be delivered through GrabMart’s Farmers’ Market feature. At the moment, the fresh fruit delivery is only available in Bangkok with distribution centres at the Or Tor Kor Market…
- Covid-19 News
Bangkok’s revamped Khaosan Road may reopen in August, without international tourists
Bangkok’s Khaosan Road, for decades a pilgrimage for backpackers from all over the world, looks set to reopen in August. A well-loved tourist mecca for browsing, eating and night life, the thoroughfare has undergone a revamp during lock-down, and now boasts a new road surface, traffic barriers and newly-planted trees. Similar work is planned for the city’s Kraisi, Rambuttri and…
- Environment News
Bangkok’s Skypark could inspire more green areas across the region
“It is an example of how to repurpose an abandoned structure and increase green spaces in Bangkok through cost-effective design.” Bangkok’s new “Skypark,” built on an abandoned, never-completed Skytrain track, could become be a model for turning the capital’s unused spaces into much-needed green areas. Such an initiative would also boost public health and mitigate the impacts of climate change,…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok bar raided, nearly 100 revellers charged with breaching emergency decree
Nearly 100 partygoers have been arrested and charged with violating the emergency decree after police raided a bar in Bangkok in the early hours of this morning. Following a tip-off that an illegal party, involving drugs and alcohol, was being held at the Fake Illusion bar in the Beung Kum district of the capital, 50 officers were sent to check…
- Bangkok News
Woman runs drug syndicate from Bangkok prison
Police cracked down on a drug network allegedly and discovered that it was being run by a female inmate in the Bangkok Remand Prison, using a gold shop to launder more than 3 billion baht in illegal drug money. The woman, Daorueng Somsaeng, as well as 9 other inmates in various jails and prisons across Thailand, are facing money laundering…
- Environment News
Clean up Bangkok waterways: Report on littering, get paid
Need some extra cash? Catch someone dumping garbage into Bangkok canals and half the money in fines will go to you. The effort is to clean up the so-called “Venice of East” which has so much trash, city officials say it’s scary. The maximum fine is 10,000 baht, so potentially you could get up to 5,000 baht for one report. To…
- Crime News
Nightly curfew lifted, illegal motorbike racers back on the streets
Illegal motorbike street racers, known as ‘dek waen’, are back on the road right after the nightly curfew was lifted last Sunday. Police recently arrested 6 young racers in the southern province of Songkhla, but officials are warning others to slow down and abide by traffic laws as Thai media reports “dek waen are back on Bangkok streets”. Royal Thai…
- Crime News
Bangkok woman allegedly kills, mutilates father
Bangkok police have arrested a woman who they suspect of murdering her father and cutting off his genitals before fleeing the scene yesterday. She was found wandering on a street around 2.30am this morning. They also recovered the knife that they believe was used in the murder. The woman was semiconscious and unable to speak, and officers say they’ll let…
- Bangkok News
Love for driving fast leads to fatal crash
Shortly after expressing his love for driving fast, a young man has died in a high speed motorcycle crash in Bangkok. He wrote on Facebook yesterday saying that when riding solo… “I can go as fast as I wish.” 2 hours later, he died. A witness said the 21 year old motorcyclist from Lopburi was speeding by when he smashed…
- Thailand News
Thais continue to provide for the spirits despite tough times
Spirits don’t rest in Thailand, even when there’s a nationwide lockdown and viral pandemic swirling around the world. Thai people continue to give what they can to provide for the spirits, even if it’s just a glass of water or Fanta, placing offerings by trees where spirits live, or on spirit houses which are often outside homes and businesses. One…
- Environment News
Bangkok’s sky park bridging the Chao Phraya ready for opening
Bangkok now has an elevated garden overlooking the Chao Phraya River, after architects transformed a portion of an abandoned electric train project into a green pedestrian bridge. For 30 years, the unfinished Saphan Phut line stood as a reminder of the Lavalin Skytrain project, which was abandoned in 1992. The project began in 1984 under former PM Prem Tinsulanonda. Today…
- Bangkok News
Policeman uses beer and hometown connection to coax man down from Bangkok building – VIDEO
A policeman in Bangkok has prevented a man from leaping to his death by chatting to him in his own dialect in an attempt to reassure him. A report in Coconuts says the police officer told the man there was nothing to be afraid of, pointing out they were both from the same hometown. VIDEO: RDNewsCH3 It’s understood the man,…
- Tourism News
Phuket Airport is open for business. Flights available today.
Phuket International Airport is open from today. This island’s airport, closed from the start of April, re-opened just after midnight. Not that there are many scheduled flights today. It looks like the announcement from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand caught the airlines by surprise as well but the airlines may add flights quickly to take advantage of the earlier…
- Bangkok News
The one that didn’t get away… a fish tale with a happy ending
A man has been joyfully reunited with his prized, and very valuable, fish after leaving it in a pink Bangkok taxi. The fish’s owner hailed cab 6880 from Chatuchak market but got out of the vehicle in the Klong Toei area, leaving his “Channa Barca” snakehead fish inside in a plastic bag. The owner immediately contacted radio station JS 100,…
- Northern Thailand News
Woman arrested for boyfriend’s stabbing death
Police in Bangkok have arrested a woman for allegedly stabbing her longtime boyfriend to death in Issan’s Khon Kaen province. Officers of the Crime Suppression Division and Khon Kaen’s Muang police station arrested Thanphicha Rodnongkheng at a rented house near Victory Monument last night. 28 year old Thanphicha, aka. “Mind”, was wanted on a warrant issued by the Khon Kaen…
- Bangkok News
Students at Bangkok university can choose uniform based on gender identity
After years of debate on school uniforms, transgender students at Thammasat University can now dress uniforms according to their gender identity. Along with the with uniform rule, the Bangkok university says all staff need to treat transgender students equally. Staff who discriminate or insult transgender students will be disciplined. The school’s uniforms have long been debated. Back in 2013, Saran “Aum…
